How to fix Code 19 error with DVD/CD-ROM drives in
Windows

I was fixing a computer the other day and ran across the following
error in Device Manager on the CD/DVD drive.

"Windows cannot start this hardware device because its configuration
information (in the registry) is incomplete or damaged. To fix this
problem you should uninstall and then reinstall the hardware device.
(Code 19)"

Because of this error, the drive did not show up in My Computer and the
customer was unable to burn CDs or read any CDs.

This error is very similar to the Code 39 error with CD/DVD drives and
the first solution is identical to the one for Code 39.

To solve this Code 19 error, follow these instructions:

NOTE: After removing these registry keys and rebooting, it may be
necessary to reinstall any CD or DVD recording applications.

1) Close all open programs

2) Click on Start, Run, and type REGEDIT and press Enter

3) Click on the plus signs (+) next to the following folders

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE SYSTEM

CurrentControlSet

Control

Class

{4D36E965-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}

4) This folder is the DVD/CD-ROM Drive Class Description in the
registry. Look for any of the following names in the right hand column.

UpperFilters

LowerFilters

UpperFilters.bak

LowerFilters.bak

5) If any of the above keys shown in step 4 are listed, right-click on
them and choose Delete

6) After deleting the keys, close the Registry Editor

7) Reboot your computer

8) Open My Computer and check to see if your CD or DVD drives have
returned. You may also want to open Device Manager and verify that the
yellow exclamation and error code on the CD or DVD drive is gone.

If this solution does not work to fix the Code 19 error, you'll want
to remove the drive from Device Manager, reboot, and allow it to
reinstall the drive. Then update your drivers from the manufacturer's
website or Windows Update.

Lastly, if you have removed the UpperFilters and LowerFilters keys and
updated the drivers, it may be a hardware issue that will only be
resolved by replacing the drive completely. However, most of the time
the problem will be resolved by editing the registry as shown above.